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Top 3 Causes of Untouchability – Explained!

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Some of the most important causes of untouchability in hindu society: 1. Racial Factors 2. Religious Factors 3. Social Factors.

The idea that untouchability is caused solely by the caste system does not hold good. In fact, there are also other causes of untouchability besides the caste system. “The origin of the position of exterior castes is partly racial, partly religious and partly a matter of social custom.” There are mainly three causes i.e., racial, religious and social ones to explain the persistence of untouchability in Hindu society.

1. Racial Factors:

One of the fundamental causes of untouchability is the racial consideration. A large number of races existed in India, but the Aryans who were advanced and civilized people, defeated the aboriginals of India. The victor always considers himself superior to the vanquished and treats the other race as inferior. Therefore to some scholars the Aryan invaders gave some derogatory names to the non-Aryan races who settled in India and considered them untouchable. In Assam a particular branch of Naga tribe is not allowed to wear ivory ornaments on both arms.

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This restriction has been imposed upon those people because they are different from the other Naga tribes from the racial view point. The racial distinction is responsible for the origin of the custom of untouchability in yet another way. It is told that the Aryans, after defeating the aboriginals, gradually proceeded towards the south, where they faced the problem of getting life partners.

But due to dearth of women from their own race, some of them got married to the Dasyu girls. Those who married Dasyu girls were kept away from the other Aryans and restrictions were imposed on them in respect of commensality and connubium. As a result, in course of time the entire system became very rigid and such people began to be treated as untouchable.

2. Religious Factors:

Religious factors constituted another cause of untouchability. Religious beliefs and convention played a crucial role in the causation of untouchability. Purity and divinity were assigned important place in religion. These were considered essential in motivating people to abstain from being engaged in impure occupation. “Ideas of purity and pollution whether occupational or ceremonial, are found to have been the factor in the genesis of caste or the very soul of the practice of untouchability.” Therefore due to their engagement in polluted occupation, the basket makers, sweepers, cobblers were regarded as untouchables.

Ghurye believed that idea of purity and impurity gave birth to untouchability. However, he said that “whether their degraded position in the Vedic period was due to mixed descent is more that can be ascertained. At the same time the possibility of such an explanation must not be wholly over- looked, in as much as illicit connection between a Shudra male and an Aryan female is sometimes hinted at.” Dr. Majumdar is of the opinion that untouchability began along with cultural and racial differentiation between the Aryans and the aboriginals. Gradually, the gap between them became so wide that those who considered themselves superior, in respect of race and culture, refused to touch those, who they considered culturally and racially inferior to them.

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Nesfield propounded the occupational theory of origin of untouchability. He believed that in every society there were some dirty professions and occupations. In ancient India the people who were engaged in impure occupation were condemned and began to be considered as polluted and untouchables. In addition to religious purity, social taboos were also held responsible for the causation of untouchability.

Inter-caste marriage, consumption of the object of totem or its disrespect in any manner were restricted. But when pratiloma or hypogamy type of marriages were held the concept of untouchability originated. Manu, the great Hindu law-giver, believed that ‘pratiloma’ marriage, which according to K.M. Kapadia was “the marriage of a men of lower Varna with a woman or higher Varna”; were condemned. According to Manu, the untouchables are the descendants of such marriages. The off-springs born out of such marriages were kept aloof from society and could not belong to the caste of any one of their parents and were considered untouchable.

3. Social Factors:

Social factors also appear equally significant in maintaining untouchability. Religious and racial causes give recognition to social customs and conventions upholding the prevalence of untouchability. Hutton is of the opinion that origin of the system is partly racial, religious and partly a matter of social customs.

The concept of racial superiority of the victorious Aryans was responsible for maintaining connubium, commensality and restriction on social intercourse. Ghurye has maintained that the desire of the upper castes to remain pure caused untouchability. Then came the role of evil social customs which imposed many restrictions and disabilities on the low castes. Thus the religious, racial and social factors not only caused the origin of the practice of untouchability but also strengthened it.